Phantasmagoria
by VelvetEars
Summary: AU: When Breaking Dawn ends in battle, the Cullens are ripped apart - in more ways than one. Rated "M" for severe emotion, intense situations, violence, and mild language.
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters, settings, and dialogue are property of their respective owners. Any original ideas, etc. are property of the author._

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**Phantasmagoria  
**_Written by_: LittleCoward

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_**Summary:**_ (AU) When Alice and Jasper never return, Breaking Dawn ends in battle. This story follows Jake and Nessie as they're on the run. They slip into new identities just to survive, facing danger every step of the way. Back in Washington, something - or someone - begins to unravel the mystery of what happened in the clearing...

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**Phantasmagoria:  
**1. A shifting series or succession of things seen or imagined, as in a dream.  
2. Any constantly changing scene.

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**Prologue**

_Köln, Germany._

As I walked down the street, I began thinking about what I was going to do next year. There was no way I could continue my education at Universität zu Köln, the University that I began attending last year. Even if I pooled all of my resources and asked my family to help, I couldn't afford it now.

I was hardly paying attention to where I was walking, but suddenly I heard a strange growling sound. At first I thought it was those dogs that had been slinking around these past few weeks, but then I laid my eyes upon the most beautiful people that I had ever seen!

There was a small girl with dark hair who was frozen in place, and a larger man with lighter hair. They were standing in front of two other people…. but where were the growls coming from?

Then I realized…. the _man_ was making those sounds! He was slightly crouched, looking into the alleyway.

I ducked behind a corner, afraid that the beautiful people would see me. The dark-haired girl suddenly lurched forward a half-step, then halted and her mouth popped open. She quickly whispered something to the man next to her, and his face became terrible. A snarl echoed through the street.

As soon as the noise left his lips, two more astoundingly perfect people slid from the shadows. They had the most oddly coloured eyes….

They began speaking to the man who was crouched next to the dark-haired girl, but the talking morphed into inhuman hissing, and snarls worthy of Frederik's boxer.

The second man slowly slipped a bit more from the shadows and then suddenly leaped towards the other man. Without thinking, I gasped.

I froze in my position as six perfect faces snapped in my direction. _Sheisse!_ I was appalled at how terrifying some of them looked. Before I could even think, my legs started pumping in a steady, chaotic rhythm, carrying me far from that dark corner of the streets. All I could hear behind me was the waning sound of a woman screeching in the alley.

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**Author's Note:** This is my first AU story, so I'd especially appreciate any feedback you can give me. I love reviews, but if you can add bits some constructive criticism they're even better!

-LC

_p.s. - I'm on the lookout for a great Beta or two. If you're interested, please PM me or mention it in a review!  
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	2. Chapter 1: Valediction

_**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters, settings, and dialogue are property of their respective owners. Any original ideas, etc. are property of the author._

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_***Author's Note: This story begins during chapter 27: Contrivances, of Breaking Dawn. (Near the bottom of page 721 - HC edition)**_

_**Please review, and enjoy!**_

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**Chapter 1: Valediction  
**_(1: An act of bidding farewell.)_

**_Washington, U.S.A._**

The papery man with black hair looked at his friends and said, "Brothers, there is much to consider here." They responded; one sounding eager, the other bored. He turned his back then, and joined hands with his friends. They were completely engrossed with their conversation after a few moments. I noticed that a few more of the 'witnesses' got up to leave. I hoped that nobody would pursue them.

Then, momma took my hands that were around her neck, and loosened them. She asked me, "Do you remember what I told you?" I nodded in response as I started to cry. I whispered to her, "I love you." I almost shouted in my head, _No! I don't want to go!_

Daddy looked at us, his pretty eyes open really wide, Jacob looked down at us too. I remembered that momma hadn't told anyone.

Then momma said "I love you too," and touched my locket, "more than my own life." As she kissed my forehead, Jacob whined, sounding very uneasy.

Momma stretched on her tip-toes to whisper in Jacob's ear. "Wait until they're totally distracted, then run with her. Get as far from this place as you possibly can. When you've gone as far as you can on foot, she has what you need to get in the air." I continued to cry as she talked.

Daddy and Jacob look horrified. I reached out towards daddy, and he took me in his arms. He gave me a tight hug, and I showed him what momma had told me earlier.

"This is what you kept from me?" he whispered to momma.

"From Aro," she said, even more quietly.

"Alice?" Daddy asked.

Momma nodded.

Daddy got a painful look on his face, and Jacob was growling softly, looking _very_ angry. Then daddy kissed my forehead and cheeks and lifted me up towards Jacob's shoulder. I was finding it harder and harder not to cry, but still, I scrambled up so that I could sit in-between Jacob's shoulders. It was comfortable up there, because he was so big and sturdy. I grabbed some of his fur so that I would have a better grip.

Jacob turned to look at momma, and she said to him, "You're the only one we could ever trust her with. If you didn't love her so much, I could never bear this. I know you can protect her, Jacob."

He whined again, and dipped his head down to bump momma's shoulder. "I know," she whispered. "I love you too Jake. You'll always be my best man." Then daddy leaned against Jake's big furry shoulder and said, "Goodbye, Jacob, my brother ... my son."

I could see that the rest of my family and our friends and allies were watching what was going on between us. They weren't looking directly at us, but I could tell. Then grandpa Carlisle whispered, "Is there no hope then?" He didn't sound afraid, which made it easier for me to control my fear.

"There is absolutely hope," momma said back to him. "I only know my own fate." Then daddy took her hand. I anxiously replayed what happened to Jacob, showing him my growing dread. He gave me a reassuring rumble, I don't think anyone else heard it. Or maybe they just weren't paying any attention to us.

Everyone around us started saying goodbye, vocally, or physically. I almost started to cry again, but Jacob gave me another rumble, and shifted his weight. This reassured me a bit, but I was still close to panic.

After a few moments I was starting to feel a little better. My anxiety reached a new high however, when all of the sudden, momma whispered, "Get ready, it's starting."

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**Author's Note: **I know it was really short, but that was the natural cutoff point. The chapters will likely have no set length, but they'll get longer as I continue - I promise! (They have been so far.) So, once again... Comments? Questions? Theories? I love to hear them all, and constructive criticism is my favorite thing!

-LC

_p.s. - Still looking for some top-notch Betas..._


	3. Chapter 2: Judgment

_**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters, settings, and dialogue are property of their respective owners. Any original ideas, etc. are property of the author._

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_**Author's Note: **__**Please review, and enjoy!**_

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**Chapter 2: Judgment  
**_(1: A formal utterance of an authoritative opinion; 2: A formal decision given by a court; 3: The process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing; 4: A proposition stating something believed or asserted.)_

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"Chelsea is trying to break our bindings," daddy whispered. "But she can't find them. She can't feel us here..." He looked at momma, "Are you doing that?"

Momma gave him a smile that wasn't a _real_ smile, and said, "I am _all_ over this."

Suddenly, daddy jumped away from momma, reaching a hand out towards grandpa Carlisle. Sounding frantic, daddy asked him, "Carlisle? Are you all right?"

Sounding a bit puzzled, grandpa Carlisle answered, "Yes. Why?"

Daddy's one-worded answer: "Jane."

Momma quickly looked around, I did too. Everyone looked fine. "Incredible," daddy said.

"Why aren't they waiting for the decision?" Tanya asked, hissing. I knew she was very upset. Daddy answered her brusquely, "Normal procedure. They usually incapacitate those on trial so they can't escape."

I became very worried, if they were already attacking, that meant that Aro _did_ mean to hurt my family... This made me very angry, but also even more frightened. I did not want to be separated from my family. What would I do without them?

Suddenly, I saw momma give a funny-looking smile to the little scary girl called Jane. Jane seemed to narrow her eyes in a mixture of disbelief and anger. Then momma pulled her lips back further to show her teeth. I was glad she had never looked at me like that, she actually looked _scary_.

The frightening little Jane-girl let out a loud screeching snarl. She crouched, preparing to spring at momma I think. Her twin brother, grabbed her arm. He must have remembered that they were not supposed to openly attack_. Probably a good thing, _I thought._ I think momma would have torn her apart, and daddy certainly would not have been opposed to helping her._

When this last thought ran through my head, daddy looked at me out of the corner of his eye and gave me one of his crooked little happy-smiles. Even though it wasn't quite like it usually was, it made me feel a little bit better.

The papery vampires who were on our side were chuckling about something, as Alec patted Jane's arm, trying to calm her some more. Then he turned towards us, with a peaceful, almost angelic look on his face.

No one moved for a moment, then momma grabbed daddy's hand, looking a little panicked. "Are you okay?" She choked out.

"Yes," Daddy whispered back, but loud enough that me and Jacob could hear.

"Is Alec trying?" momma asked. I had forgotten that he had a power too, what was it again? I overhead someone talking about it... Oh yes, he could cut off all of your senses, effectively paralyzing you. That would be more than a little terrifying.

Daddy nodded and said, "His gift is slower than Jane's. It creeps. It will touch us in a few seconds."

I looked towards the vampires across the clearing, I was wondering if I could see what Alec was doing, or if it was invisible.

I stretched forward, still clinging to Jacob, and looked for a couple of seconds. I had almost decided that whatever it was, it must be invisible. Then I saw it, it looked a bit like a very thin fog, with a shimmering quality to it. When you looked through it, it made things on the other side look a little dreamy.

As it continued to creep closer to our front line, I heard a faint rumble coming from below me. At first I thought it was Jacob, then I realized it was the ground. There were also gusts of wind blowing drifts of snow about. That must be Benjamin, another vampire who was fighting with us. He could control the weather, and the earth. _He must be trying to blow the mist away. _Daddy gave a slight nod in my direction, so I knew this was true. No matter how hard Benjamin tried though, the mist continued to advance towards us.

The three papery figures cloaked in black finally broke out of their triangle when a huge fissure opened up in between the two groups of vampires in the clearing. Snow fell into the fissure in large drifts, but the dreamy mist whisked right over top. Aro and the two others watched Benjamin's handiwork. Two of the three - (Aro, and that other one with the white hair, Caius.) - stood with their eyes open wide. The third just looked on with no discernible expression on his face.

Everyone watched as the mist continued to come towards us. Even as the wind shrieked louder, there was no change in its course. I looked at Benjamin, he was looking more than a little stressed to see that his wind was having no effect.

The Jane-girl was smiling at our side now. It was an evil smile though, seeming to communicate her desire for a fight, even if we were going to be incapacitated. Her smile continued to grow by small, but noticeable amounts as the mist kept creeping closer.

Then, the dreamy mist hit what appeared to be a wall.

Even though it had hit a wall, it continued drifting, curling upwards, seeking some way to breach the invisible wall. There was no way to get through though. Then I realized, _This is what momma is doing. Momma is holding this wall, keeping the dream-mist out..._ As I watched the mist curl around the wall, or rather, momma's shield, I saw exactly how far she had extended her protection. It covered so much of the area around us, I could hardly believe that _my_ mother was doing this. As daddy had said before, it was incredible.

Everyone else could see the size of the shield now as well. Gasps came from both sides of the gorge that split the clearing in two. _Everyone is beginning to see how amazing my family is, _ I thought proudly. _Maybe they are also beginning to realize that we will not go down without a fight. We are stronger than they think._

"Well done Bella!" Benjamin cheered softly. Everyone on our side looked much more confident. The vampires on the other side were another story though, they looked a bit more frightened. _Good, _I thought. _Maybe they'll take us seriously now. Maybe they will see reason._

Momma began whispering to daddy again. "I'm going to have to concentrate, when it comes to hand to hand, it's going to be harder to keep the shield around the right people."

"I'll keep them off you." He replied.

"No. You _have_ to get Demetri," momma said back. Daddy looked like he was about to protest, but momma continued; "Zafrina will keep them off of me."

Zafrina nodded and promised daddy, "No one will touch this young one."

Momma spoke again, "I'd go after Jane and Alec myself, but I can do more good here."

Kate, another of the vampires with golden eyes hissed and said, "Jane's mine, she needs a taste of her own medicine."

One of the papery vampires on our side claimed Alec.

Tanya stated, "I just want Caius." Remembering, I was sure, that he had been the one to give the order that destroyed her sister.

More of the vampires on our side began divvying up more of our opponents. The wolves must have been claiming opponents as well, I heard Jacob give a few rumbles that were not directed towards me.

They were interrupted though, when Aro spoke.

"Before we vote," He began. Momma tensed up, she started to look scary again. Aro had better watch what he says...

He continued, "Let me remind you, whatever the council's decision, there need be no violence here." At this, daddy snarled and let out a dark laugh.

Aro looked at daddy sadly, "It will be a regrettable waste to our kind to lose any of you. But you especially, young Edward, and your newborn mate." He wanted daddy and momma? He continued; "The Volturi would be glad to welcome many of you into our ranks. Bella, Benjamin, Zafrina, Kate. There are many choices before you. Consider them."

I got a little panicky as he said this. _Momma and daddy wouldn't abandon us for them, would they?_ As soon as that thought crossed my mind though, I squished it into the dust. Of course they wouldn't leave us, they loved us.

As these thoughts fluttered through my head, Aro looked around at our group. Hoping, I think, to see some type of interest in or consideration of his offer. His face grew slightly disappointed - and perhaps a tad angry? - at the lack of response.

After a couple more tenths of a second scrutinizing our expressions, he said with apparent reluctance, "Let us vote then."

The angry one - Caius - spoke up quickly. "The child is an unknown quantity. There is no reason to allow such a risk to exist. It must be destroyed, along with all who protect it." He smiled as he said this, his eagerness visible. This upset me very much. All of my friends and family were going to die because of me?

Momma looked as though she was trying very hard not to let a snarl burst out, and break the line.

Then the quiet one spoke. His voice was hardly audible, even to us. He said, "I see no immediate danger. The child is safe enough for now. We can always reevaluate later. Let us leave in peace."

Even though he had disagreed with Caius, not one of the Volturi guard relaxed their stances. They must still be expecting a fight. From the excited grin on his face, this was also what Caius wished for.

Aro appeared to consider for a moment, and then said, "I must make the deciding vote it seems."

Daddy snarled again. Aro must mean to attack us. Why would daddy snarl otherwise?

Aro continued his supposed debate with himself out loud. "Marcus has an excellent point, there is no apparent danger from this half-child yet." Momma stiffened as he spoke, she did not like the insulting tone he had adopted. Neither did I, for that matter

"It is true we can always return and check on it again," He continued. "But I think that doing that could turn into something very counter-productive. What happens if it becomes a terror? Of course we would then intervene. Any negative outcome could be avoided of course, if we eliminate the half-child now." I really disliked how he kept referring to me as a thing. It was more than mildly annoying.

"And thus, Caius has a remarkably logical grasp on the situation. It is very true, the half-child is completely unknown to us. We have no idea how it will grow, or act as it matures. I would however, be open to one other course of action-" And here Aro was cut of by the sudden and extremely violent sound of daddy's snarling.

Everyone on our side crouched slightly as soon as they saw daddy's face and posture. Momma began to hiss as well, losing her composure. The wolves began growling deep in their chests. Daddy finally quieted enough to spit something at Aro, "Never!" Then he let out another vengeful roar; baring his teeth.

This caused the Volturi's guards to react negatively as well, crouching defensively, ready to spring.

"What was he thinking?" Momma bit out at daddy around her snarls.

"What _is_ he thinking, you mean." Daddy replied. "He was going to negotiate for a 'peaceful resolution.' "

Grandma Esme interrupted him, saying, "That doesn't sound so bad." My grandmother was so sweet, willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt.

Daddy turned slightly and continued. "He had only one condition to this proposal. He wanted to take Renesmee to _study_ her."

As soon as those words were out of his mouth, everyone on our side became quiet for one heartbeat. After this pause, Jacob and his pack all flinched forward a step. Momma screeched and snarled, flashing her teeth like... _a vampire._ I had never been more terrified of anything in my life. All of the hisses, snarls and growls on our side grew louder. Uncle Emmet was terrifying, but no one looked nearly as fierce as daddy or momma. Even grandma Esme and grandpa Carlisle had faces filled with fury.

As they registered our reactions, the Volturi guard tensed even further. The witnesses also grew suddenly still.

Aro gave a small sigh, and spoke so quietly it was almost impossible to hear him over the snarls. "Then it is decided. I am sorry my friends." And with a flick of his hand, the guard leapt.

It had begun.

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**Author's Note:** Well, I hope that you like it so far! This is all I'll be posting until I finish the story up to chapter 12. (These first couple are just to give any surious readers a taste of the story.) As always, I appreciate any constructive criticism I can get!

-LC

_p.s. - still on the lookout for a great Beta or two!_


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